World Neurosurg
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Previous studies identified a correlation between preoperative resilience scores and patient reported outcome measures in several surgical subspecialities. No previous studies, to our knowledge, have analyzed preoperative resilience and patient reported outcomes in lumbar spinal fusion. ⋯ Preoperative resilience is associated with improvement in pain and physical and mental health quality of life during the early postoperative period following lumbar spinal fusion. Additional research is needed to determine if improvements are maintained beyond this interval and whether resilience can be modified to optimize outcomes.
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In the present study, we aimed to identify the obliteration outcomes, complications, and predictors in gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS) treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) at a tertiary center in a developing country in a 15-year experience. ⋯ GKRS is a safe and effective treatment of brain AVMs. The lack of prior AVM hemorrhage, an eloquent location, and higher AVM were unfavorable predictors for post-GKRS obliteration.
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Despite advances in gender equity, the paucity of women neurosurgeons remains. In Germany, women accounted for only 24% of the specialists who completed their neurosurgical training in 2019. We sought to explore the perceptions of medical students in Germany toward a neurosurgical career, focusing on gender-specific differences. ⋯ Awareness must be raised concerning gender inequity and discrimination in our specialty. A multifaceted approach is imperative to develop neurosurgery into a profession where gender no longer hinders access to training and success in the field.
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Predicting patient needs for extended care after spinal fusion remains challenging. The Risk Assessment and Prediction Tool (RAPT) was externally developed to predict discharge disposition after nonspine orthopedic surgery but remains scarcely used in neurosurgery. The present study is the first to use coarsened exact matching-which incorporated patient characteristics known to independently affect outcomes-for 1:1 matching across a large population of single-level, posterior lumbar fusions, to isolate the predictive value of preoperative RAPT score on postoperative discharge disposition. ⋯ The RAPT score, captured in preoperative evaluations, can be highly predictive of discharge disposition following single-level, posterior lumbar fusion.
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Shaken baby syndrome occurs following inertial loading of the pediatric head, resulting in retinal hemorrhaging, subdural hematoma, and encephalopathy. However, the anatomically vulnerable cervical spine receives little attention. Automotive safety literature is replete with biomechanical data involving forward-facing pediatric surrogates in frontal collisions, an environment analogous to shaking. Publicly available data involving child occupants were utilized to study pediatric neck and head injury potential. We hypothesized that inertial loading provides a greater risk of injury to the cervical spine than to the head. ⋯ These data support the hypothesis that inertial loading of the head provides a greater injury risk to the cervical spine than to closed-head injury.